Party bet led to rape charges

A TEENAGE boy who had a bet with two friends that he could get into bed with a girl he fancied at a sleepover party near Hobart is accused of raping and indecently assaulting the girl, a Supreme Court jury in Hobart has heard.

The now 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of rape, not guilty to three further counts of rape alleged to have occurred after the first count, and not guilty to two counts of indecent assault, also alleged to have occurred after the first count of rape.

It is alleged the crimes were committed in the early hours of February 17 last year when the alleged victim was at a sleepover with a group of college friends.

Crown prosecutor Madeleine Wilson said an original group of six had spent the evening of February 16 together and were sleeping the night at the family home of one of the friends.

Ms Wilson said the accused man and another male had joined the group later on the night of February 16.

“At one point the accused expressed a sexual interest in [the girl],” Ms Wilson said.

She said the accused and two others had a bet that they could stay for five minutes in the bed the girl and a male friend of hers were sharing.

The boy in the bed, which was two couches pushed together so they were facing each other, was awake and asked the accused to get out of the bed.

When the accused refused, the boy decided he would sleep somewhere else.

Ms Wilson said that sometime after that the accused put his arm around the girl, who was initally asleep, and pulled her towards him.

She said the girl tried to pull away and pretended to be asleep while the accused was making advances.

Mrs Wilson detailed a series of allegations of rape and indecent assault that the accused is said to have committed.

She said that when the girl woke in the morning she saw who it was in bed with her.

“She told her sister that she awoke to someone grabbing her and that she was paralysed by fear,” Ms Wilson said.

The man’s lawyer, Andrei Slicer, said while his client admitted to the first count of rape, the further five counts were disputed.

“He disputes them, he says it wasn’t him,” Mr Slicer said.

The trial, before Chief Justice Alan Blow, continues.